Thursday, October 4, 2007

“When I begin a session in my studio, the process of remembering and dreaming begins. My pots are formed with a steady approach to the ideal and the unexpected—they are part memory, part hope. My good ideas and clever intentions are no match for the exceptional pot that just seems to happen. Each pot emerges from a combination of intense focus, forgetting, letting go, and just doing.

I have found that there is redemption in repetition. The first pot in a series can sometimes be the best. Other times it may be the last one. Sometimes it is only after the firing that a pot’s subtle qualities emerge. The kiln leads the way to the next generation of pots to be made. It is there at the kiln that my search begins again. “

“Despite the many tangents that lead me this way and that in the course of making pottery, the ideas, desires and excitement of clay remain very close to those at the very beginning of my career. To be sure, the outcome of experience and effort, trial and error has evolved through the years. But the process still begins with the simple, ecstatic response to a ball of soft clay. The successful pot elicits a similar response in the context of the home. The mountains of North Carolina provide plenty of inspiration with their wildly exuberant flora, geological variety and the pottery history that sprang from these geological circumstances. Strong pottery form and patterns that evoke the complexity of this natural environment continue to guide my interests in this current body of work. By some combination of optimism and risk, my collaboration with the natural properties of clay and wood fire continues to lead me through this potter’s life, at times exasperated and at others, exhilarated.”

These pots are from the most recent firings, nos. XXIII & XXIV. They will be featured in the upcoming show "Locally Thrown: Studio Pottery Invitational" at the Ferrin Gallery at their new location in Pittsfield, Massachussetts. I will post a link to the online show when it goes live.2 handled jar with slip trailed swag, alkaline ash glaze, woodfired with glass placed on handles,15" x 11"

Monday, October 1, 2007

Here are the pots that have been decorated, glazed, but not yet fired. Some of you may be scratching your head about the pot in the very back that looks likes it's already been fired. It has, but it is being refired. Hope springs eternal.The gray glaze in the lower photo is a "clear" glaze that shows underglazed brushwork. It was a little underfired, but showed promise in other areas of the kiln.